The invention relates to a tensioning chain provided with grippers (particularly for textile machinery).
In the previously known constructions, the grippers have generally been made from aluminium. The arms provided on the gripper body for pivot mounting of the gripper flap run horizontally from their attachment point to their outer end which forms the pivot mounting point. In addition, the angle between the two arms of the gripper flap is such that in the open position, the actuating arm projects over the upper edge of the gripper body by such a distance that this actuating arm can be pushed into the closed position by contact with a control surface.
Because of the constructional features referred to above, the known gripper has an overall height which is undesirably great for many applications. The link pins in the known gripper chain have a ratio of length to diameter of the order of approximately 2:1.
A reduction in the overall height of the known gripper is desirable for various reasons. For instance, the minimum spacing to be maintained for nozzles for the hot air treatment of a length of material transported by means of the tensioning chain depends upon the overall height of the gripper.
The object of the invention, therefore, is to construct a tensioning chain in such a way as to produce a substantial reduction in the overall height of the gripper. At the same time, it should be ensured that even in the open state the gripper flap does not project over the profile of the gripper body so that return transport of the chain with open gripper flaps is possible.